Sunderland teen will live her American dream

Marcia Adams, 18, will be heading off to Pennsylvania to take up her place at Bryn Mawr College.

The St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy A-level student has won a place and a financial aid package to study in the USA after participating in the Sutton Trust’s US Programme.

Last summer, Marcia was one of 150 students selected for a summer school in America and spent a week living on campus.

The students benefitted from residential activities and received an intensive programme of support, delivered by the US-UK Fulbright Commission over a number of months before and after their US visit, which covered admission tests, college choices and the application process.

Marcia, who has a passion for languages and even tutors in Spanish, said: “Since becoming a part of the Sutton Trust programme last year, I have been given so many life-changing opportunities and have met some wonderful people who will remain friends for life.

“Being admitted to Bryn Mawr College is a dream come true and I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way.”

The aim of the Sutton Trust’s US Programme is to encourage academically talented, low and middle income British students to consider studying at American universities.

This year’s cohort comes from across the UK and 76% of the students admitted early will be the first in their family to go to university.

Of the 42 accepted students, 60% of participants are from households that earn less than £25,000 a year.

Marcia is one of students who have been selected under the early application deadline to US universities, and the participants admitted early have been offered a total of approximately $11m of financial aid from the universities over the next four years.

They have been accepted to 30 different institutions including Harvard, Princeton, Duke, and Columbia.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “America’s leading universities are bastions of progressive values and outstanding education. Their campuses are welcoming places for international students, whatever country or social background they come from. 

“I’m delighted that 42 of our brightest students have won places to study in the states. They will benefit from a broad and varied curriculum as well as in-depth study and with 100% funding they will graduate debt-free.

“I hope more young people will look to their success and realise that a university education in the states is well within their grasp.”